Share This Story!

Natural Resources Board chairman Fred Prehn advised the DNR to perform a study of the impact crossbow use has had on Wisconsin's deer hunting seasons. Crossbow use was liberalized by the Legislature through a 2013 state law.

A deer hunter carries a crossbow as he walks to a stand in Marquette County.(Photo: Paul A. Smith / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

MADISON - There will be no push for a shorter Wisconsin crossbow hunting season this year, according to Fred Prehn, chairman of the Natural Resources Board.

"I am putting the pause button on this scope statement with board members approval," Prehn said Wednesday. "To be clear, (there are) no changes (proposed) on big game seasons at this time."

Prehn raised concerns among many Wisconsin deer hunters when he suggested at the board's January meeting that a scope statement, or initial step in the administrative rule making process, be crafted to modify the crossbow season.

Since the suggestion was on the heels of an informational item requested by board member Greg Kazmierski for options to "equalize" the buck harvest rate among Wisconsin hunters, any change in crossbow use – the equipment that has shown the highest rate of buck harvest – would likely have resulted in a reduction in crossbow opportunity.

Prehn's remarks in January resulted in media coverage and drew a large response from stakeholders.

"To say the board has had contact from the public on this issue would be an understatement," Prehn said Wednesday.

Rather than move forward with a potential rule change, Prehn instead asked the Department of Natural Resources to perform a human dimensions study of crossbow use, including data and experiences in other states, and the resulting impacts on big game hunting.

Ralph Schwalbach, 83, of West Allis, Wisconsin poses with a white-tailed deer he shot with a crossbow while hunting in Waushara County during the 2018 Wisconsin hunting season.(Photo: Randall Schwalbach)

Crossbow license sales have been an outlier among general declines of Wisconsin hunting license sales. Since a 2013 state law liberalized use of crossbows, Wisconsin has seen a steady increase in crossbow license sales, including from 69,022 in 2016-'17 to 82,660 in 2017-'18 to 88,895 in 2018-'19, according to DNR records,

Over the same time, sales of vertical bow licenses have declined from 166,161, to 152,186 to 138,600, respectively.

Total Wisconsin deer hunting licenses in 2018 fell 2.5 percent to 803,772, according to DNR figures, continuing a long-term decline.

Compared to vertical bows, crossbows are easier to use, since they are pre-cocked and ready to shoot when game appears. In addition, many are affixed with telescopic sights.

Crossbows are favored by many young hunters, older hunters and hunters of all ages who don't have the time or ability to practice often.

Although some hunters have criticized crossbow users of targeting only bucks, in 2018 the proportion of antlered versus antlerless deer taken by crossbow users was nearly identical to that of vertical bow users (55/45 for crossbows and 54/46 for vertical bows).

The combined bow buck kill this season of 47,433 was an 11 percent decline from the record of 53,184 set in 2017.

When it comes to total deer kill in Wisconsin, the firearm seasons (nine-day gun, muzzleloader, youth, December antlerless and Holiday Hunt) continue to dominate the harvest. In 2018, gun hunters registered 239,296 deer, of which 110,792 were bucks and 128,504 (or 54%) were antlerless.

The suggestion of a scope statement that could curtail use of crossbows drew a passionate response from the growing ranks of crossbow users.

"Crossbow opportunities add flexibility, and more possibilities for the young, and those with limited physical strength," said Phil Skowbow of Port Washington in a letter to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "If crossbow hunting leads to success, great. Lets promote that and recruit more new hunters."

Skowbow also pointed to the need to avoid regulations that could increase infighting in the hunting community.

Liberalized crossbow use is relatively new to Wisconsin deer hunting. The law change initiated as Assembly Bill 194 in May, 2013. It received a level of bipartisan support rarely seen in any political era, especially the current one.

The Assembly voted twice to support the bill, 95-0 on the initial version and 91-0 on an amended and final version.

The Senate took a voice vote in support of the bill. Such votes are taken when a measure has wide-spread support and there is no apparent need or request for a roll call tally.

When it passed both bodies and was signed by Gov. Scott Walker in December 2013, the measure became Act 61.

It allowed all legal hunters to use a crossbow to hunt deer in Wisconsin, regardless of age or disability status.

A crossbow is sighted-in from an elevated stand.(Photo: Michael Sears)

Prior to the law, crossbows were allowed for deer hunting in Wisconsin only by those with a physical disability or those age 65 and older.

It also spelled out the crossbow season dates for the first two hunting seasons. For those years, 2014-'15 and 2015-'16, the law required the crossbow and vertical bow seasons to run "concurrently."

It placed no further requirement on the DNR, but clearly allowed the department the option to modify crossbow season dates if deemed desirable or necessary.

The statute also did not require the DNR to make a report on crossbow use after the two-year period, as some hunters have incorrectly maintained.

Since the new crossbow law has not resulted in a biological threat to the resource and has proven popular with a growing portion of the hunting public, DNR wildlife managers have been content to continue with the concurrent crossbow and archery deer hunting seasons.

The recent discussion about a potential change did not originate with the DNR. It was brought about by the NRB members.

On Wednesday, Prehn asked DNR Secretary Preston Cole to have agency staff conduct a "lengthy engagement and data gathering process over the next few months with our stakeholders and report to us no later than August 2019 on our big game season."

Cole said his staff would work over the coming days to develop a timeline to fulfill the request.

Board member Bill Bruins appeared relieved to hear no rule change was being pursued, at least at this time.

"If I'd have one request, it would be that we put in headlines, neon lights, flashing lights, whatever, that there will be no change to this year's (crossbow) season," Bruins said. "That seemed to be the major concern of the callers."

Prehn acknowledged the request, noting it "might settle people down a little bit."

Then, as opposed to his rash suggestion in January of a potential crossbow rule change, Prehn offered a statement everyone in the conservation community should support.

"If any monumental changes are proposed other stakeholders including the (Wisconsin) Conservation Congress and others will have a clear opportunity to weigh in as well," Prehn said. "This decision is not going to be changed by one lobby or another and it cannot be swayed by emotion. But be based on science and fact and the will of the people."

Clark appointed to NRB: Fred Clark of Madison was appointed to the Natural Resources Board last week by Gov. Tony Evers.

Fred Clark of Madison was appointed to the Natural Resources Board by Gov. Tony Evers. Clark's term ends in 2025.(Photo: Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources)

Clark works as the part-time executive director of Wisconsin’s Green Fire, an organization dedicated to natural resources conservation. He is also a senior forester for the Forest Stewards Guild and works independently as a consulting forester.

Clark previously worked as owner and principal of a forestry consulting, contracting, and custom logging business, Clark Forestry, Inc. based in Baraboo. He was also a senior forester for the Wisconsin DNR, and a forest ecologist for Wisconsin Chapter of The Nature Conservancy.

In addition, Clark served from 2009-'14 in the Wisconsin Assembly as a Representative to Sauk, Columbia and Marquette counties.

He received a B.S. from Michigan State University in 1985, and an M.S. in Forest Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1992.

Clark lives in Madison with his wife, Kerry Schumann. He enjoys deer and turkey hunting, maple sugaring and working with wood.

His NRB term expires May 1, 2025.

Clark's appointment fills a vacancy created when Preston Cole of Milwaukee was nominated by Evers to serve as DNR Secretary.